Due to unforeseen personal circumstances, I will be unable to continue this blog for the next couple of weeks. I will resume a daily infusion of top news stories as soon as the personal interference is put back to rights, but until then I shall not be able to post daily as I have in the past.
Please keep an eye out for my return. This is not a permanent situation, and the longest it should last would be mid-June.
Thanks for reading; I will return as soon as I am able.
About Me
- Gutrend
- A big lover of all types of media, from Movies to Video Games, Books to Music, Television to Stage.
Monday, May 16, 2011
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Flooding In Louisiana And Manitoba
Ten to twenty feet of water has begun to flood Cajun Country in Louisiana in an effort to relieve a greater disaster further south on the Mississippi. The spillway opened Saturday for the first time since 1973, and people and animals rushed to higher ground as the water shot through like a waterfall, bursting 6 feet into the air. US army officials are hoping that this release will save Baton Rouge and New Orleans from another disaster greater than that left behind by Hurricane Katrina.
In Manitoba, the swollen Assiniboine River was let through a dyke, for the same purpose of stemming a greater disaster down river. While the Manitoba government has pledged financial aid to the approximately 150 homes expected to be affected by the deliberate flooding, residents are still quite stressed regarding their immediate future. The majority of those likely to be affected by the flooding have not been notified how deep the water is expected to get, nor what to expect afterwards.
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Elsewhere, gunfire at a border crossing between Syria and Lebanon has left one woman and one soldier dead. Newer information puts the number of civilians killed at four.
India and Pakistan have exchanged gunfire in Kashmir, following the earlier shooting death of an Indian soldier.
Israeli gunfire injures 45 Palestinians protesting in the Gaza Strip when they got close to the border. Four pro-Palestinian protesters are dead following the shooting.
Japanese engineers have abandoned the latest attempt to cool the reactor one at the Fukushima plant. The attempt to cool the rods by pumping water into the reactor has been thwarted by a hole in the floor of the building which is allowing 3,000 tonnes of radioactive water to pool in the basement instead. Tepco, the company which runs the plant, says another plan will be thought up by Tuesday.
Sony has stated that partial service of its Playstation Network have once again become operational in the US and Europe. Service is expected to begin again in Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the Middle East, with Asia following soon after. As of yet, the service will not allow purchase of games or services by credit card, as this aspect of the network is still being tested due to the new security measures.
More news as it happens.
In Manitoba, the swollen Assiniboine River was let through a dyke, for the same purpose of stemming a greater disaster down river. While the Manitoba government has pledged financial aid to the approximately 150 homes expected to be affected by the deliberate flooding, residents are still quite stressed regarding their immediate future. The majority of those likely to be affected by the flooding have not been notified how deep the water is expected to get, nor what to expect afterwards.
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Elsewhere, gunfire at a border crossing between Syria and Lebanon has left one woman and one soldier dead. Newer information puts the number of civilians killed at four.
India and Pakistan have exchanged gunfire in Kashmir, following the earlier shooting death of an Indian soldier.
Israeli gunfire injures 45 Palestinians protesting in the Gaza Strip when they got close to the border. Four pro-Palestinian protesters are dead following the shooting.
Japanese engineers have abandoned the latest attempt to cool the reactor one at the Fukushima plant. The attempt to cool the rods by pumping water into the reactor has been thwarted by a hole in the floor of the building which is allowing 3,000 tonnes of radioactive water to pool in the basement instead. Tepco, the company which runs the plant, says another plan will be thought up by Tuesday.
Sony has stated that partial service of its Playstation Network have once again become operational in the US and Europe. Service is expected to begin again in Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the Middle East, with Asia following soon after. As of yet, the service will not allow purchase of games or services by credit card, as this aspect of the network is still being tested due to the new security measures.
More news as it happens.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Deliberate Flooding In Manitoba, Same Plan For Mississippi
In an effort to stem greater destruction of property further down the river, the dyke holding back the Assiniboine River has been breached southeast of Portage la Prairie in Manitoba. The flood is expected to cover 225 square kilometres and affect at least 150 homes. This is being done to ensure the flood is not worse downriver, where it would affect 500 square kilometres and 850 homes.
The same idea is being pushed forward by the US for the cresting Mississippi River, and the Army is prepared to open a spillway in Cajun Country in order to avoid greater destruction in Baton Rouge and New Orleans. 11,000 structures would be affected by the opening of the spillway, submerging 7,770 square kilometres under as much as 7.6 metres of water. If this is not done, New Orleans will be submerged under 6 metres of water in a disaster that would dwarf the damage done by Hurricane Katrina.
Both rivers have been swollen by heavy rains and large quantities of snowmelt, raising their levels to record proportions this year.
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Officials in Washington who were in their respective positions during the Bush administration are attempting to say that the information leading to the mission to kill Osama Bin Laden was gained as a direct result of using the 'waterboarding' torture technique, and trying to vindicate their position on its use in interrogation.
Pakistan lawmakers are riled by the US raid on Bin Laden's compound. They have closed ranks behind the military might of Pakistan, who's feathers were ruffled by the mission, and the leaders of the country still claim they had no knowledge of Bin Laden's whereabouts before the raid took place.
A worker has died at the stricken Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan. Cause of death is still undetermined, but officials are stating that no traces of radiation were found on his body. The plant is undergoing work to repair it after the earthquake and resulting tsunami caused major damage to the site.
Denmark, planning to institute border checks, may in fact be about to violate European Union law.
More news as it happens.
The same idea is being pushed forward by the US for the cresting Mississippi River, and the Army is prepared to open a spillway in Cajun Country in order to avoid greater destruction in Baton Rouge and New Orleans. 11,000 structures would be affected by the opening of the spillway, submerging 7,770 square kilometres under as much as 7.6 metres of water. If this is not done, New Orleans will be submerged under 6 metres of water in a disaster that would dwarf the damage done by Hurricane Katrina.
Both rivers have been swollen by heavy rains and large quantities of snowmelt, raising their levels to record proportions this year.
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Officials in Washington who were in their respective positions during the Bush administration are attempting to say that the information leading to the mission to kill Osama Bin Laden was gained as a direct result of using the 'waterboarding' torture technique, and trying to vindicate their position on its use in interrogation.
Pakistan lawmakers are riled by the US raid on Bin Laden's compound. They have closed ranks behind the military might of Pakistan, who's feathers were ruffled by the mission, and the leaders of the country still claim they had no knowledge of Bin Laden's whereabouts before the raid took place.
A worker has died at the stricken Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan. Cause of death is still undetermined, but officials are stating that no traces of radiation were found on his body. The plant is undergoing work to repair it after the earthquake and resulting tsunami caused major damage to the site.
Denmark, planning to institute border checks, may in fact be about to violate European Union law.
More news as it happens.
Friday, May 13, 2011
Very Late Post
I apologise to anyone regularly reading this blog, but the host site, Blogger, was down for the morning and, from what I've gleaned, most of the day. I will return tomorrow as scheduled.
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Libyan Rebels Push Back Gadhafi Forces
Rebels in Misrata said today that they have pushed Gadhafi's forces away from the airport after capturing it, and moved them outside of the besieged city. This comes on the heels of an appearance by Gadhafi which spurred NATO to attack Gadhafi's Tripoli compound and three other locations Thursday. It was Gadhafi's first appearance since his son was killed almost two weeks ago.
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Elsewhere, a retried US auto worker has been convicted on thousands of counts of acting as an accessory to murder at a Nazi death camp. John Demjanjuk was found guilty of 28,060 counts, one for each person who died when he was a guard at the Sobibor camp in Nazi-occupied Poland from late March to mid-September 1943. He is 91 years old.
The shuttle Endeavour will finally launch at 8:56 a.m. EDT on Monday, May 16th.. This is the final flight of this space shuttle, and the second last launch of any space shuttle.
22 children have been rescued from a human trafficking gang in China. 200 police officers were involved in the bust Wednesday, saving the 22 children who had already been kidnapped. Since launching the crackdown on this type of activity in 2009, police have rescued more than 13,000 abducted children and 23,000 women.
Floods continue to be a major concern in Louisiana and Manitoba.
More news as it happens...
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Elsewhere, a retried US auto worker has been convicted on thousands of counts of acting as an accessory to murder at a Nazi death camp. John Demjanjuk was found guilty of 28,060 counts, one for each person who died when he was a guard at the Sobibor camp in Nazi-occupied Poland from late March to mid-September 1943. He is 91 years old.
The shuttle Endeavour will finally launch at 8:56 a.m. EDT on Monday, May 16th.. This is the final flight of this space shuttle, and the second last launch of any space shuttle.
22 children have been rescued from a human trafficking gang in China. 200 police officers were involved in the bust Wednesday, saving the 22 children who had already been kidnapped. Since launching the crackdown on this type of activity in 2009, police have rescued more than 13,000 abducted children and 23,000 women.
Floods continue to be a major concern in Louisiana and Manitoba.
More news as it happens...
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
UN Wants Libyan Ceasefire
The UN secretary general has requested that Gadhafi forces stop bombing civilians, and asks for an "immediate, verifiable ceasefire." Ban Ki-moon also stated that he wants humanitarian aid to be allowed into the area unimpeded to help those affected by the fighting. Meanwhile, NATO stated that while Gadhafi's compound may have been collapsed during the recent round of shelling, that it was not itself the specific target of any shots fired. Brigadier General Claudio Gabellini, the NATO chief operations officer in Libya, stated that NATO is only taking aim at military targets, and the buildings hit are all command and control bunkers.
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In other news, rumours that a deceased seismologist predicted that a major earthquake would hit Rome, Italy on May 11th this year has caused a minor exodus from the city. Raffaele Bendandi, the seismologist who predicted this event, died in 1979, but not before saying that May 2011 the city of Rome would be 'totally destroyed' and that this event would be followed by two more disasters in May 2012. Most Romans, however, are dismissing the rumours as an urban myth. Guess we'll see what tomorrow brings.
In Greece, police have fired tear gas at thousands of protesters in the centre of Athens today.
Apa Sherpa, 51, climbs Mount Everest for the 21st time, setting new Everest record by beating his own total.
The Commodore 64 is making a comeback, with an original-looking 'keyboard computer' housing current components. Commodore USA is selling them now, for delivery in June, for the same price as the original was sold for: $595 US. Mouse and monitor sold separately.
Gas prices in Toronto, Canada, have for the second day in a row set new records. Today's prices, after a second overnight bump, have reached $1.41 per litre, which works out to be $5.34 per US gallon.
More news as it happens...
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In other news, rumours that a deceased seismologist predicted that a major earthquake would hit Rome, Italy on May 11th this year has caused a minor exodus from the city. Raffaele Bendandi, the seismologist who predicted this event, died in 1979, but not before saying that May 2011 the city of Rome would be 'totally destroyed' and that this event would be followed by two more disasters in May 2012. Most Romans, however, are dismissing the rumours as an urban myth. Guess we'll see what tomorrow brings.
In Greece, police have fired tear gas at thousands of protesters in the centre of Athens today.
Apa Sherpa, 51, climbs Mount Everest for the 21st time, setting new Everest record by beating his own total.
The Commodore 64 is making a comeback, with an original-looking 'keyboard computer' housing current components. Commodore USA is selling them now, for delivery in June, for the same price as the original was sold for: $595 US. Mouse and monitor sold separately.
Gas prices in Toronto, Canada, have for the second day in a row set new records. Today's prices, after a second overnight bump, have reached $1.41 per litre, which works out to be $5.34 per US gallon.
More news as it happens...
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
NATO Targets Gadhafi
Witnesses say that recent airstrikes have been delibrately targeting Muammar Gadhafi's compound. Libyan officials say that as a result of breaking glass, four children have been injured after the latest NATO strikes overnight. This is all occurring during what appears to be a stalemate between Gadhafi's forces and the rebels attempting to oust him from power, in a struggle that has so far lasted two months. Western countries, the US included, are still uncertain whether to quietly support the rebels with weaponry in order to turn the tide of the conflict.
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Elsewhere, the Mississippi River is beginning to crest at Memphis, TN, prompting President Obama to sign a disaster declaration for the area on Monday. Flooding is of grave concern to residents in Louisiana, the crest's next target, as the area is still getting back on it's feet after the disaster that was Hurricane Katrina.
Microsoft says it is going to buy Skype for the price of $8.5 billion, in cash. This is in an attempt to become larger in the smartphone market, and will try and make Microsoft a bigger player on the internet.
Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver are separating after 25 years of marriage.
Japan's Prime Minister says that he will forego his paycheck until the country's nuclear crisis is resolved.
Sony Corporation hopes to get the Playstation Network back online by the end of May.
More news as it happens...
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Elsewhere, the Mississippi River is beginning to crest at Memphis, TN, prompting President Obama to sign a disaster declaration for the area on Monday. Flooding is of grave concern to residents in Louisiana, the crest's next target, as the area is still getting back on it's feet after the disaster that was Hurricane Katrina.
Microsoft says it is going to buy Skype for the price of $8.5 billion, in cash. This is in an attempt to become larger in the smartphone market, and will try and make Microsoft a bigger player on the internet.
Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver are separating after 25 years of marriage.
Japan's Prime Minister says that he will forego his paycheck until the country's nuclear crisis is resolved.
Sony Corporation hopes to get the Playstation Network back online by the end of May.
More news as it happens...
Monday, May 9, 2011
Pakistan Outs CIA Chief In Islamabad
Pakistani news agencies have reported what they claim is the name of the CIA station chief in Islamabad, which is the second major outing of a CIA member in the region within six months. This comes at a time that the diplomatic relationship between Pakistan and the US is quite strained, as it also appears that Pakistan was aware of the whereabouts of Osama Bin Laden for quite a while without informing the US.
The Associated Press has confirmed that the name the Pakistani press has released is in fact wrong, but that only slightly lessens the effect of what has occurred, given that the release was given without the press being aware that it was incorrect. This is likely the result of the military and intelligence agencies attempting to push against the humiliation of the surprise raid that killed Bin Laden, and is expected to further strain the relationship between Washington and Islamabad.
More news as it happens...
The Associated Press has confirmed that the name the Pakistani press has released is in fact wrong, but that only slightly lessens the effect of what has occurred, given that the release was given without the press being aware that it was incorrect. This is likely the result of the military and intelligence agencies attempting to push against the humiliation of the surprise raid that killed Bin Laden, and is expected to further strain the relationship between Washington and Islamabad.
More news as it happens...
Taliban Raid Exposes Kandahar Weaknesses
Kandahar was raided by the Taliban over the weekend, and militants directly attacked the government in the heart of the city. This comes less than two weeks after 488 prisoners escaped through a tunnel from Kandahar's main prison. A senior Kandahar police official says there is a direct co-relation between the two events. Dozens of insurgents were involved, and apparently the majority of them that were killed in the violence were indeed escapees from that prison break.
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Elsewhere, economic trouble has struck Greece again, suggesting that the country may in fact need a second bail-out from the European Union and the International Monetary Fund.
In Canada, a major buyout of the Forzani Group, the company behind Sport Chek, Sport Mart, Athlete's World and Nevada Bob's Golf, has been put forth by Canadian Tire, purchasing the company for $763 million.
On 60 Minutes on Sunday, US President Barack Obama stated that the US government believes Osama Bin Laden had a 'support network' in place in Pakistan.
Syrian security forces arrest hundreds of activists and anti-government protesters today. The country has been widening the scope of it's raids in order to keep the president's regime intact.
It has been confirmed that Japan has agreed to close up three of its nuclear power plants until they can be properly protected against possible tsunami damage in the future. In related news, the earthquake that caused the problems leading to this development has altered towns and villages in such a way so that some actually flood at high tide.
More news as it happens...
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Elsewhere, economic trouble has struck Greece again, suggesting that the country may in fact need a second bail-out from the European Union and the International Monetary Fund.
In Canada, a major buyout of the Forzani Group, the company behind Sport Chek, Sport Mart, Athlete's World and Nevada Bob's Golf, has been put forth by Canadian Tire, purchasing the company for $763 million.
On 60 Minutes on Sunday, US President Barack Obama stated that the US government believes Osama Bin Laden had a 'support network' in place in Pakistan.
Syrian security forces arrest hundreds of activists and anti-government protesters today. The country has been widening the scope of it's raids in order to keep the president's regime intact.
It has been confirmed that Japan has agreed to close up three of its nuclear power plants until they can be properly protected against possible tsunami damage in the future. In related news, the earthquake that caused the problems leading to this development has altered towns and villages in such a way so that some actually flood at high tide.
More news as it happens...
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Quick Sunday Update
Thousands of protesters are on the march in Morocco demanding political reforms.
Religious strife in Egypt leaves 10 dead and 190 arrested after clashes between Christians and Muslims. A riot began after attempts to burn down two churches occurred in a slum-like area of Cairo.
Syrian security forces have moved into the city of Homs, a centre of anti-government protests. Reports include heavy shooting and multiple arrests.
Train crashes into platform in Hoboken, NJ, only produces minor injuries.
As of June 1st, Bahrain's king will life the state of emergency that has been imposed since mid-March during protests which started in February.
More news as it happens...
Religious strife in Egypt leaves 10 dead and 190 arrested after clashes between Christians and Muslims. A riot began after attempts to burn down two churches occurred in a slum-like area of Cairo.
Syrian security forces have moved into the city of Homs, a centre of anti-government protests. Reports include heavy shooting and multiple arrests.
Train crashes into platform in Hoboken, NJ, only produces minor injuries.
As of June 1st, Bahrain's king will life the state of emergency that has been imposed since mid-March during protests which started in February.
More news as it happens...
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Gadhafi Destroys Oil Tanks To Bring Misrata Down
Gadhafi planes have bombed four Misrata fuel tanks, sparking an enormous fire that then spread to four more tanks. The attack was carried out by small pesticide planes, and NATO has yet to respond to the attack. Without the fuel tanks, which supplied the city of Misrata, it is possible the rebels may lose control of the city, the last rebel-held city in Eastern Libya. Elsewhere, Gadhafi forces fire artillery rounds across border as the clashes with the rebels heat up.
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Meanwhile, civilian deaths in Syria have risen to 800 since the pro-democracy demonstrations began seven weeks ago. The Syrian Rights group Sawasiah stated today that they have the names of all 800 slian, including 220 killed during a tank-based attack on the city of Deraa.
AC/DC is expected to release a new album by 2013, and suggested that their Black Ice World Tour will in fact not be their last ever trek as they will likely go back on the road after the release of the new album. Their concert film, Live At River Plate releases on May 9th on DVD and Blu-Ray.
More news as it happens...
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Meanwhile, civilian deaths in Syria have risen to 800 since the pro-democracy demonstrations began seven weeks ago. The Syrian Rights group Sawasiah stated today that they have the names of all 800 slian, including 220 killed during a tank-based attack on the city of Deraa.
AC/DC is expected to release a new album by 2013, and suggested that their Black Ice World Tour will in fact not be their last ever trek as they will likely go back on the road after the release of the new album. Their concert film, Live At River Plate releases on May 9th on DVD and Blu-Ray.
More news as it happens...
Friday, May 6, 2011
Suggestions And Comments
I am trying to keep this blog specific with just the small tidbits regarding the big news stories of each day, varying the topics across the board as interesting news becomes available. I am trying to ensure each daily post is done before or near 9am, and any other posts occur as news comes in. At times I have updated the main post if immediately after posting new and pertinent information becomes known. I am gathering my tidbits from Twitter, where I have multiple news agencies being followed, as well as a few major websites - including, but not limited to The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Huffington Post, Reuters, and CTV News. I also follow Al Jazeera English, as well as BBC Breaking News.
The point is, I am trying to provide a daily dose of the major news stories in a small, quick update that gives the basic outline of what's going on across the globe, and to inform people as to what the popular topics of discussion are worldwide on each particular day.
The upshot is this: If you like what I'm doing, no problem, I just ask that you keep reading and occasionally click on an advertisement here and there. If you want more from my writing in this blog, let me know it. It has been mentioned that i should provide a link to the main stories I'm referring to in my posts, but in my mind that defeats the purpose of the blog entire. I am trying to cater to the people who don't have the time nor the interest to go hunt down the full story, and instead are looking for the blurb that tells them what's up. To provide the links to the articles I'm getting my information from would just have people leaving the site right away, and what good would my writing it in the first place be? If you want the whole article, you all know where to go to get in-depth coverage; I don't consider myself a news writer, I'm just passing on information.
So if you want the tidbits to be larger, let me hear it. If you like what I'm doing, I'd love to hear that too. If you are only here because you accidentally clicked on the site when looking for the real news sites, I apologise for getting in the way. Regardless, I'll be here again tomorrow morning, if not sooner, with my daily round-up of what we're all talking about.
More news as it happens...
The point is, I am trying to provide a daily dose of the major news stories in a small, quick update that gives the basic outline of what's going on across the globe, and to inform people as to what the popular topics of discussion are worldwide on each particular day.
The upshot is this: If you like what I'm doing, no problem, I just ask that you keep reading and occasionally click on an advertisement here and there. If you want more from my writing in this blog, let me know it. It has been mentioned that i should provide a link to the main stories I'm referring to in my posts, but in my mind that defeats the purpose of the blog entire. I am trying to cater to the people who don't have the time nor the interest to go hunt down the full story, and instead are looking for the blurb that tells them what's up. To provide the links to the articles I'm getting my information from would just have people leaving the site right away, and what good would my writing it in the first place be? If you want the whole article, you all know where to go to get in-depth coverage; I don't consider myself a news writer, I'm just passing on information.
So if you want the tidbits to be larger, let me hear it. If you like what I'm doing, I'd love to hear that too. If you are only here because you accidentally clicked on the site when looking for the real news sites, I apologise for getting in the way. Regardless, I'll be here again tomorrow morning, if not sooner, with my daily round-up of what we're all talking about.
More news as it happens...
Shuttle Launch Postponed To May 16th
Endeavour's last launch off of the planet's surface has been officially rescheduled for 8:56am, EDT, on Monday, May 16th at the very earliest. This weekend, repairs to the electrical equipment which delayed the April 19th launch will continue, and a news conference detailing what's been done and how successful the repairs are will broadcast on Monday.
More news as it happens...
More news as it happens...
Bin Laden Planned Commuter Rail Attack
According to the computers and files seized at Bin Laden's compound upon his death Monday, a planned American commuter rail attack was expected to occur on 9/11/11. There is no proof that the plan went beyond the early concept stages, but the idea was discussed as recently as February 2010.
More news as it happens...
More news as it happens...
Al-Qaida Confirms Death Of Bin Laden
As of today, al-Qaida has officially confirmed that Osama Bin Laden has been killed, vowing to make Americans' 'happiness turn to sadness' in retaliation for the death of the terrorist leader. According to US sources, this paves the way for the group to name a new leader, which it is likely to do very soon. In the same statement confirming Bin Laden's death, al-Qaida also called on Pakistanis to rise up and take control of their government from those currently in power, and that an audio message Bin Laden recorded approximately a week before his death would be released soon.
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In other news, while the US government, and President Obama in particular, has decided firmly not to release the death photos of Bin Laden, Reuters has gone forward and released other photos taken from the compound showing the death photos of at least two of the other men slain in the firefight with Bin Laden. The photos are quite graphic, but Reuters stands by their decision to release them, stating "As this is a story of global importance, Reuters chose to share these photographs with its media clients and allow them to make editorial decisions on how they were used." The White House has yet to comment on Reuters decision.
Sony is hoping to entice users back to it's PS3 console platform by offering a free 30-day membership to its Playstation Plus service and complimentary entertainment downloads. This is in response to having hackers gain access to over 100 million subscribers' personal and financial information in April.
Syria's 'Day of Defiance' has begun with anti-government protesters turning out in numbers, with reportedly 6 dead already.
An international series of what is being deemed 'slut walks' is occurring in response to a Toronto police officer's comment that women should avoid dressing like sluts in order to ensure the lesser chance of being raped or victimized.
Japan has ordered the closing of three nuclear reactors in the centre of the country in order to assuage safety concerns in the event of possible major earthquakes.
It is rumoured that Gadhafi forces may have committed war crimes in the city of Misrata, killing civilians in indiscriminate attacks. Also, France has ordered 14 Libyan diplomats expelled from the country.
More news as it happens...
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In other news, while the US government, and President Obama in particular, has decided firmly not to release the death photos of Bin Laden, Reuters has gone forward and released other photos taken from the compound showing the death photos of at least two of the other men slain in the firefight with Bin Laden. The photos are quite graphic, but Reuters stands by their decision to release them, stating "As this is a story of global importance, Reuters chose to share these photographs with its media clients and allow them to make editorial decisions on how they were used." The White House has yet to comment on Reuters decision.
Sony is hoping to entice users back to it's PS3 console platform by offering a free 30-day membership to its Playstation Plus service and complimentary entertainment downloads. This is in response to having hackers gain access to over 100 million subscribers' personal and financial information in April.
Syria's 'Day of Defiance' has begun with anti-government protesters turning out in numbers, with reportedly 6 dead already.
An international series of what is being deemed 'slut walks' is occurring in response to a Toronto police officer's comment that women should avoid dressing like sluts in order to ensure the lesser chance of being raped or victimized.
Japan has ordered the closing of three nuclear reactors in the centre of the country in order to assuage safety concerns in the event of possible major earthquakes.
It is rumoured that Gadhafi forces may have committed war crimes in the city of Misrata, killing civilians in indiscriminate attacks. Also, France has ordered 14 Libyan diplomats expelled from the country.
More news as it happens...
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Bin Laden Pic Not To Be Released
President Obama has officially decided not to release death photos of Osama Bin Laden, much to the dismay of the Republican party and many members of the American population. Photos of three other persons killed during the firefight on Monday have been released for wide distribution by the White House, and are easily found all over the internet, especially at news sites. Pakistan officials are calling the raid a 'cold-blooded' attack, and there are anti-US protests being planned by Pakistan Islamists. The US is showing a mistrust of Pakistan's spy agency in general after suggestions that a suspicious courier was noticed around the compound where Bin Laden was ultimately found as far back as 2003, and no action was taken at that time. it is now being stated that the Afghan Taliban may split from al-Qaida as a result of Bin Laden's death.
Please be aware that a promised 'Bin Laden death video' is being used as a hook for internet scams. There has not been any video of Bin Laden's death released, and you should avoid opening any e-mail offering exclusive footage of said video.
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In other news, workers are entering the devastated Fukushima No. 1 nuclear reactor building for the first time since the earthquake in Japan caused massive failures and an explosion at the plant on the following day.
The Syrian army is pulling out of Deraa, citing that they have quelled the uprising against the Syrian leader in the city. They had entered the city 10 days ago in an attempt to crush the 6-week long protest and call for the authoritarian leader of 11 years, President Bashar al-Assad, to step down. Hundreds have reportedly been arrested since the army moved in.
Dozens of people have escaped a Tunisian jail during a new breakout, the latest in a series started since the ousting of the president in January.
Two mid-level al-Qaida members have been killed when their vehicle was hit by an airstrike in Yemen.
Gilles Duceppe has joined Micheal Ignatieff in resigning as leader of his political party after Stephen Harper's Conservatives win majority government in Canada. Ignatieff's Liberals dropped to third place behind the NDP lead by Jack Layton, and Duceppe's Bloc Quebecois dropped from 47 seats in parliament to only two.
Sony is blaming their loss of 100+ millions of subscriber's personal information on the internet vigilante group 'Anonymous.'
More news as it happens...
Please be aware that a promised 'Bin Laden death video' is being used as a hook for internet scams. There has not been any video of Bin Laden's death released, and you should avoid opening any e-mail offering exclusive footage of said video.
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In other news, workers are entering the devastated Fukushima No. 1 nuclear reactor building for the first time since the earthquake in Japan caused massive failures and an explosion at the plant on the following day.
The Syrian army is pulling out of Deraa, citing that they have quelled the uprising against the Syrian leader in the city. They had entered the city 10 days ago in an attempt to crush the 6-week long protest and call for the authoritarian leader of 11 years, President Bashar al-Assad, to step down. Hundreds have reportedly been arrested since the army moved in.
Dozens of people have escaped a Tunisian jail during a new breakout, the latest in a series started since the ousting of the president in January.
Two mid-level al-Qaida members have been killed when their vehicle was hit by an airstrike in Yemen.
Gilles Duceppe has joined Micheal Ignatieff in resigning as leader of his political party after Stephen Harper's Conservatives win majority government in Canada. Ignatieff's Liberals dropped to third place behind the NDP lead by Jack Layton, and Duceppe's Bloc Quebecois dropped from 47 seats in parliament to only two.
Sony is blaming their loss of 100+ millions of subscriber's personal information on the internet vigilante group 'Anonymous.'
More news as it happens...
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
A Slower Wednesday
After a whirlwind weekend of news stories, things have slowed a bit today.
In Palestine, the leaders of Fatah and Hamas are due to sign a reconciliation deal in Cairo that will allow for joint leadership of the country. National elections are expected to be held next year. This comes as the Middle East has awakened to the reality of protests and unrest being the new method of regime change in the area, and this move is suggested to be a means to ensure the unrest doesn't spread further. Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu calls the pact a 'blow to peace and a victory for terrorism.'
A lawsuit in excess of $1 Billion has been filed in Canada against Sony Corporation in regards to the potential identity theft and stolen credit and debit card information taken during the past two weeks as a result of two successful hacks of Sony's databases. If the courts certify the claim, and the parties do not settle, we'll be seeing this go to court. A US lawsuit is also currently underway.
It is being widely stated that Pakistan was well aware that Bin Laden was hiding in country for many years, with one official stating that the compound he was eventually killed at was under suspicion since 2007. Meanwhile, many American citizens are doubting the truth of Bin Laden's death, and those who do believe that he is dead are outraged that he was given a burial at sea in order to adhere to Muslim beliefs which would give his soul the chance to go to heaven after his actions when alive. It is also being said that Bin Laden was unarmed when his compound was raided and he was slain.
The entire Bin Laden incident is also re-raising the question as to whether torture is a reasonable means of extracting information in certain circumstances.
According to the CIA, after a NATO airstrike reduced the majority of the Libyan leader's home compound, Gadhafi is presumed still alive. Elsewhere, Libyan forces bomb Misrata, killing five, according to rebel forces in the area.
More news as it happens...
In Palestine, the leaders of Fatah and Hamas are due to sign a reconciliation deal in Cairo that will allow for joint leadership of the country. National elections are expected to be held next year. This comes as the Middle East has awakened to the reality of protests and unrest being the new method of regime change in the area, and this move is suggested to be a means to ensure the unrest doesn't spread further. Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu calls the pact a 'blow to peace and a victory for terrorism.'
A lawsuit in excess of $1 Billion has been filed in Canada against Sony Corporation in regards to the potential identity theft and stolen credit and debit card information taken during the past two weeks as a result of two successful hacks of Sony's databases. If the courts certify the claim, and the parties do not settle, we'll be seeing this go to court. A US lawsuit is also currently underway.
It is being widely stated that Pakistan was well aware that Bin Laden was hiding in country for many years, with one official stating that the compound he was eventually killed at was under suspicion since 2007. Meanwhile, many American citizens are doubting the truth of Bin Laden's death, and those who do believe that he is dead are outraged that he was given a burial at sea in order to adhere to Muslim beliefs which would give his soul the chance to go to heaven after his actions when alive. It is also being said that Bin Laden was unarmed when his compound was raided and he was slain.
The entire Bin Laden incident is also re-raising the question as to whether torture is a reasonable means of extracting information in certain circumstances.
According to the CIA, after a NATO airstrike reduced the majority of the Libyan leader's home compound, Gadhafi is presumed still alive. Elsewhere, Libyan forces bomb Misrata, killing five, according to rebel forces in the area.
More news as it happens...
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
More Bin Laden News, And Other Stories
As days pass after the death of Osama Bin Laden, more information is coming to the surface concerning details of how the operation was carried out, who knew about it, and how long they knew for. An Obama terrorism adviser has been quoted as saying that Bin Laden had been living in his 'palace-like' compound for as much as six years. Pakistan is now admitting to a failure in it's intelligence in regards to the whereabouts of Bin Laden. It has been confirmed that the burial at sea was due to the fact that the US didn't want a shrine to pop up in order to make Bin Laden a martyr for Al Qaida, and that Saudi Arabia was asked to take his body for burial and they refused. Video from within the compound has shown the bedroom where Bin Laden was killed, including pools of blood at the exact location where he was slain. A courier for Bin Laden is said to have provided the missing piece that led US forces directly to the shooting on Monday, though after many months of confirmations. The search for the courier took years, and that was after they finally figured out his real name from a nickname given to them by Al Qaida's number three leader, in custody at the time.
The elite group that killed Bin Laden is said to have been formed in 1980 after a failed attempt to rescue the Iranian hostages.
It hasn't been widely discussed online yet, but the death of Osama Bin laden may very possibly keep President Obama in office for a second term.
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In other news, the situation with protesters in Syria is beginning to make the West uneasy in regards to who might take the reins of power if their leader is toppled; not an unreasonable fear due to the minority having close relations with Hamas, a terrorist group in their own right.
NASA is moving forward with plans to launch the Endeavour's final space flight at 11:21am EST on May 10th, barring any more unforeseen delays.
The political landscape of Canada has changed wildly following yesterday's election. Stephen Harper now heads a majority Conservative government, with the NDP as the new official opposition, and the Liberals relegated to the back seat.
The Bixi bike-sharing program officially started this morning in Toronto, adding the city to the list of other locations already in the program, including London, UK, Melbourne, and Washington, DC.. Bixi is a bike rental service, allowing people to pick up a bike at any of 80 downtown locations, ride the bike to their destination and drop it off at any other location city-wide.
Sony may be facing quite a number of lawsuits now that it has released numbers stating that over 24,000 PC online members have had their personal information, including credit and debit card numbers, stolen by hackers on Monday as a result of a second attack on their network, which has shut down their PC network along with the PS3 network shut down last Monday. Class action lawsuits started both in Canada and the US are likely to be joined by suits from developers losing money on games played mostly online, citing "DC Universe Online" as one suffering the biggest impact as a result of the shutdown.
More news as it happens.
The elite group that killed Bin Laden is said to have been formed in 1980 after a failed attempt to rescue the Iranian hostages.
It hasn't been widely discussed online yet, but the death of Osama Bin laden may very possibly keep President Obama in office for a second term.
-----------
In other news, the situation with protesters in Syria is beginning to make the West uneasy in regards to who might take the reins of power if their leader is toppled; not an unreasonable fear due to the minority having close relations with Hamas, a terrorist group in their own right.
NASA is moving forward with plans to launch the Endeavour's final space flight at 11:21am EST on May 10th, barring any more unforeseen delays.
The political landscape of Canada has changed wildly following yesterday's election. Stephen Harper now heads a majority Conservative government, with the NDP as the new official opposition, and the Liberals relegated to the back seat.
The Bixi bike-sharing program officially started this morning in Toronto, adding the city to the list of other locations already in the program, including London, UK, Melbourne, and Washington, DC.. Bixi is a bike rental service, allowing people to pick up a bike at any of 80 downtown locations, ride the bike to their destination and drop it off at any other location city-wide.
Sony may be facing quite a number of lawsuits now that it has released numbers stating that over 24,000 PC online members have had their personal information, including credit and debit card numbers, stolen by hackers on Monday as a result of a second attack on their network, which has shut down their PC network along with the PS3 network shut down last Monday. Class action lawsuits started both in Canada and the US are likely to be joined by suits from developers losing money on games played mostly online, citing "DC Universe Online" as one suffering the biggest impact as a result of the shutdown.
More news as it happens.
Monday, May 2, 2011
Shuttle Launch Delayed
Looks like the latest news out of NASA is that the shuttle will not be able to be launched to the International Space Station until Tuesday, May 10th at the earliest. During the 14-day mission, Endeavour will deliver the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) and spare parts including two S-band communications antennas, a high-pressure gas tank and additional spare parts for Dextre. This will be the 36th shuttle mission to the International Space Station.
The Death Of Osama Bin Laden
Since September 11th, 2001, there hasn't been a more hated or hunted after person on the entire world stage as Osama Bin Laden. After killing nearly 3,000 people he managed to avoid capture or assassination for nearly a decade. Last night, the news was released that he had finally been slain by American forces.
The news was apparently first announced on Twitter, and there was even information regarding the operation before anyone outside of the people on the mission knew what the operation was or that it was even occurring. There are reports that someone was tweeting the fact that there was a helicopter hovering over the location Bin Laden was killed live as it happened, and this is now a part of the very intense discussion happening globally this morning.
Other items I'm reading in regards to this story mention that retaliation by Al Qaida is almost absolutely going to occur; that the American forces were at no time expected to bring Bin Laden out alive (that it was in fact a 'kill order'); that the bullet that killed Bin Laden was a shot in the head, with various reports saying he was specifically shot in the left eye; that it was Navy SEALS that killed Bin Laden after a firefight as he attempted to resist capture; his body was buried at sea (read as 'tossed overboard as garbage') at around 2:00 am EST; the operation took place in Abbottabad, Pakistan in a compound which has been at times described as an elegant mansion; and ultimately no Americans were harmed during this operation, though a civilian woman being used as a human shield was slain. All in all, the mission took approximately 40 minutes and cost American forces one helicopter which developed mechanical problems and crashed, after which it was destroyed in order to keep the high level of secrecy intact.
During President Obama's address to the United States last night, it was revealed that the approximate whereabouts of Bin Laden had been known since August of 2010, and it took until last week for the information to be verified and added to in order to leave no doubt as to where Bin laden was and the fact that it was him. The order was then apparently issued by President Obama last week, and then executed on May 1st, 2011. During the President's address, hundreds of people showed up outside the White House, singing the national anthem and cheering for Obama and America in general.
On an ironic note, the death of Osama Bin Laden occurred exactly eight years to the day from when President George W. Bush announced that the war against the terrorists was "Mission Accomplished." Furthermore, on a more humorous note, the announcement of what may be considered President Obama's biggest victory since taking office cut into the end of Sunday's east coast airing of "Celebrity Apprentice," effectively pulling Donald Trump, possible contender for Republican nominee in 2012, off television sets across North America.
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In other news today, Canadians are holding parliamentary elections today with the count too close to tell who will come out on top, the Royal Wedding between Kate Middleton and Prince William garnered approximately 2 billion viewers worldwide on Friday, Justin Bieber has been told he is a security risk according to the airline Qantas, and the death of Osama Bin Laden is expected to ease oil prices globally while raising the Dow Jones Industrial Average.
The news was apparently first announced on Twitter, and there was even information regarding the operation before anyone outside of the people on the mission knew what the operation was or that it was even occurring. There are reports that someone was tweeting the fact that there was a helicopter hovering over the location Bin Laden was killed live as it happened, and this is now a part of the very intense discussion happening globally this morning.
Other items I'm reading in regards to this story mention that retaliation by Al Qaida is almost absolutely going to occur; that the American forces were at no time expected to bring Bin Laden out alive (that it was in fact a 'kill order'); that the bullet that killed Bin Laden was a shot in the head, with various reports saying he was specifically shot in the left eye; that it was Navy SEALS that killed Bin Laden after a firefight as he attempted to resist capture; his body was buried at sea (read as 'tossed overboard as garbage') at around 2:00 am EST; the operation took place in Abbottabad, Pakistan in a compound which has been at times described as an elegant mansion; and ultimately no Americans were harmed during this operation, though a civilian woman being used as a human shield was slain. All in all, the mission took approximately 40 minutes and cost American forces one helicopter which developed mechanical problems and crashed, after which it was destroyed in order to keep the high level of secrecy intact.
During President Obama's address to the United States last night, it was revealed that the approximate whereabouts of Bin Laden had been known since August of 2010, and it took until last week for the information to be verified and added to in order to leave no doubt as to where Bin laden was and the fact that it was him. The order was then apparently issued by President Obama last week, and then executed on May 1st, 2011. During the President's address, hundreds of people showed up outside the White House, singing the national anthem and cheering for Obama and America in general.
On an ironic note, the death of Osama Bin Laden occurred exactly eight years to the day from when President George W. Bush announced that the war against the terrorists was "Mission Accomplished." Furthermore, on a more humorous note, the announcement of what may be considered President Obama's biggest victory since taking office cut into the end of Sunday's east coast airing of "Celebrity Apprentice," effectively pulling Donald Trump, possible contender for Republican nominee in 2012, off television sets across North America.
---------
In other news today, Canadians are holding parliamentary elections today with the count too close to tell who will come out on top, the Royal Wedding between Kate Middleton and Prince William garnered approximately 2 billion viewers worldwide on Friday, Justin Bieber has been told he is a security risk according to the airline Qantas, and the death of Osama Bin Laden is expected to ease oil prices globally while raising the Dow Jones Industrial Average.
Introduction And Font / Colour Test
Greetings one and all.
I am just writing this to allow myself the opportunity to see how the new blog here looks before I start into my first real post. Please bear with me for a little while as I get everything up and running. As you can see at the right-hand side there, I have a few other blogs and have done this before, but it always takes a while to iron out the wrinkles - especially when I'm working with a background I haven't used before.
As for that background, I felt that a photo of the planet signifies the idea behind this blog: I am planning on writing about all of the big topics on society's lips as a whole. If that means writing about Justin Bieber then so be it. If that entails discussing American politics in a big way, expect posts pertaining to those items. And, in the case of the event that just happened to precede the writing of this blog in the first place, when a well-known international terrorist is brought to justice, you'll be able to read all the facts I gather from other sources together here with my own unique writing style enhancing them.
Just call me the poor man's Huffington Post.
Anyway, this post is only a test. With any luck, the first actual post will be up within a week or so, once other personal events have sorted themselves out and I can devote more attention to this site than I can currently. Until then, please wait for further updates.
I am just writing this to allow myself the opportunity to see how the new blog here looks before I start into my first real post. Please bear with me for a little while as I get everything up and running. As you can see at the right-hand side there, I have a few other blogs and have done this before, but it always takes a while to iron out the wrinkles - especially when I'm working with a background I haven't used before.
As for that background, I felt that a photo of the planet signifies the idea behind this blog: I am planning on writing about all of the big topics on society's lips as a whole. If that means writing about Justin Bieber then so be it. If that entails discussing American politics in a big way, expect posts pertaining to those items. And, in the case of the event that just happened to precede the writing of this blog in the first place, when a well-known international terrorist is brought to justice, you'll be able to read all the facts I gather from other sources together here with my own unique writing style enhancing them.
Just call me the poor man's Huffington Post.
Anyway, this post is only a test. With any luck, the first actual post will be up within a week or so, once other personal events have sorted themselves out and I can devote more attention to this site than I can currently. Until then, please wait for further updates.
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